BA (Hons) Archaeology and History Bachelor's degree at the University of Nottingham
BA (Hons) Archaeology and History at University of Nottingham. Rather than treating these as separate fields, you'll integrate material evidence with documentary sources, building a richer understanding of past societies.
About this course
You will explore the broadest range of periods through complementary disciplines. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Archaeology and History is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Nottingham. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For History graduates from this provider, 84% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 64% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for History, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 84% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 92% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year one 10 modules
- Discovering HistoryCore
Module details
Discover the skills you need to thrive as a history student and get the most out of your degree. This core module is designed to support your transition from school to university, equipping you with the confidence and tools needed for more independent, advanced work in your second year and beyond.
- Studying the Human PastCore
Module details
What is archaeology? What are its origins and how did it develop? In this module you'll be given an overview of the origins of archaeology alongside some of the key techniques used to study the material remains of the past. The module covers key topics including the development of archaeology in different parts of the world, principles of stratigraphy, dating techniques and approaches to field archaeology. It will also introduce you to the ways in which archaeology reflects and contributes to so
- Exploring the Medieval World, c. 500-1500Optional
Module details
What shaped the medieval world, and how did it evolve over a thousand years? This 'explorations' module takes you on a journey through a millennium of medieval history, exploring how societies were built, challenged and transformed. From kings and empires to everyday life, belief and identity, you'll discover a world that was dynamic, diverse and constantly changing.
- Exploring the Early Modern World c. 1500-1800Optional
Module details
How did the world change between 1500 and 1800 - and why does it matter? This 'explorations' module dives into the dramatic political, social and cultural transformations that shaped the early modern world in Europe and far beyond. From empire-building and religious upheaval to war, work and everyday life, you'll explore how power was challenged, identities were reshaped and societies were remade.
- Exploring the Modern World c. 1800-2000Optional
Module details
Explore the ideas, events and movements that transformed the modern world. This 'explorations' module takes you on a fast-moving journey through the dramatic changes that reshaped society and culture between 1800 and 2000. You'll explore a period marked by innovation, conflict, protest and global connection, laying the foundations of today's world.
- Becoming a Historian 1Optional
Module details
Set yourself up for success in your first year as a historian. This module gives you the skills, confidence and perspective you need to make the most of university-level history.
- Becoming a Historian 2Optional
Module details
Take your next step as a historian in the second semester of your first year. This module helps you sharpen your skills, reflect on how far you've come and think more deeply about what history is and why it matters.
- Themes in Heritage and MuseumsOptional
Module details
Archaeology in the 21st century isn't just about digging up the past - it's about how we share, interpret, and debate it today. We explore key issues around the preservation, interpretation and display of heritage in the 21st century.
- Introduction to Practical ArchaeologyOptional
Module details
Gain an introduction to the practicalities of studying the human past through its material remains. You will be introduced to the practical approaches to studying sites, landscapes and buildings, as well as laboratory-based approaches to studying ancient materials.
- Interpreting Ancient Art and ArchaeologyOptional
Module details
Explore Greek and Roman art, from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman Empire (roughly 1600 BC to AD 400). We will consider classic sites and monuments that are among the great lasting achievements of mankind, including the Parthenon, Trajan's Column and the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course invites you to explore the broadest range of periods through complementary disciplines of archaeology and history. You'll usually begin with foundations in historical method and evidence, learning how historians and archaeologists construct arguments from sources and artefacts. Early modules typically survey medieval, early modern and modern worlds across different continents, setting broad contexts. In your second year, you'll move to focused study of particular periods and themes through primary evidence, alongside historiography, understanding how interpretations evolve. You may also encounter public history, exploring how heritage and museums communicate the past. By your final year, you'll undertake advanced specialist study and an original research dissertation. Throughout, you can develop depth in areas such as modern history, medieval studies, global and imperial history, social and cultural history, public history and heritage, or archival research.
Who it's for
You're drawn to understanding how people lived, what they left behind, and the stories those traces tell. You enjoy handling evidence, written documents, artefacts, landscapes, and forming your own interpretations. You're comfortable with both breadth and depth: happy to range across centuries and continents, yet willing to develop genuine expertise in periods or places that grip you. You'll thrive if you're methodical, curious, and prepared to question received wisdom. This degree will feel like sustained investigation, not passive consumption of lecture notes. If you want a foundation for careers in heritage, museums, archaeology, or the professions beyond, or simply wish to study history rigorously at university level, this programme is built for you.
Careers & job market
Across History courses nationally, 85 per cent of graduates are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating. Of those working, 55 per cent are in highly skilled roles or have moved into further study. National graduate earnings data (Graduate Outcomes survey and LEO) suggest starting salaries of £23,500–£31,000 at fifteen months post-graduation; after five years, this ranges to £25,500–£36,000. Careers open to you span museum and heritage management, archaeology, cultural policy, teaching, law, public administration and research. Many graduates pursue further qualifications, an MA, professional archaeology accreditation, or a postgraduate diploma in museum studies, for instance, which can shape trajectory and earning potential significantly.
University & format
This BA (Hons) is studied full-time over 3 years at the University of Nottingham, a public Russell Group university. Teaching is in English. The degree is a recognised UK qualification awarded by a nationally recognised degree-awarding body. The University holds a Silver award for teaching quality from the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Work placement. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 10% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code VV14). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Nottingham →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What History graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £25,000 – £31,500 | 60 |
| 3 years after | £27,500 | £23,000 – £33,500 | 405 |
| 5 years after | £36,500 | £29,500 – £48,000 | 415 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in history · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs History nationally
National figures for History graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 60; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with History courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,423 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 13% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 35; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How History graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where History graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Museums & archives
- Heritage bodies
- Schools
- Civil service & media
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit History graduates.
History & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingChartereastdulwichHistory & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingThe Charter Schools Educational TrustHistory Teachers in Kirklees and HalifaxCV-LibraryHistory TeachersSABIS NETWORK SCHOOLSIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
84% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 84.3% · in work or study 84% · continued 92%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Nottingham
Historical, philosophical and religious studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around The University of Nottingham
844 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is History right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Nottingham from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Nottingham; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Nottingham’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Nottingham and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Nottingham
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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